Updates to this story

The US has clicked its all powerful fingers at Sweden, having demanded that it close down the Pirate Bay and other similar sites in Wikileak diplomatic cables, or suffer the consequences.

An eagle eyed member of theSomethingAwful forumsspotted that the States has been exerting its power and making demands within the IPRED legislation.

The US was allegedly the driving force behind threats to Swedish ISPs in 2008, and it is currently the driving force behind the so-called “step two of the data retention”, presented by the Justice Minister last week.

This legislation will give police access to all and any collected records under Data Retention in the proposed Police Methods Report. Ordinarily, prison sentences of more than two years would have been required to collect IP addresses, but the PMU changes this before the Data Retention is even in place. The aim is to get enough evidence from ISPs to highlight illegal file sharing sites and then close them down.

And if Sweden doesn't comply it suffers.

"Disobeying these points would mean Sweden would be added to the Special 301 list of countries not sufficiently compliant with US trade demands, meaning trade sanctions would be enforced against Sweden," forums user Bisse suggests.

Sweden had a relaxed attitude to file sharing up until 2004 when the US and its various organisations decided to intervene. They've been going after the Pirate Bay and others ever since.

The US wanted to tell Sweden what to do with the Pirate Bay. Back in 2006 John Malcolm of the MPAA sent a letter to the Swedish Government reminding it of plans that had been set out.

Because the MPAA couldn't get authority on its own it encouraged the US Embassy to intervene.

At the time Mr Malcolm wrote: "Clearly the complaints that we filed on behalf of our members in 2004 and 2005 with the police in Stockholm and Gothenburg against the operators of The Pirate Bay have resulted in no action.

"As I am sure you are aware, the American Embassy has sent entreaties to the Swedish government urging it to take action against The Pirate Bay and other organisations oyeratin,a with Sweden that facilitate copyright theft. As we discussed during our meeting, it is certainly not in Sweden's best interests to earn a reputation among other nations and trading partners as a place where utter lawlessness with respect to intellectual property rights is tolerated.

"I would urge you once again to exercise your influence to urge law enforcement authorities in Sweden to take much-needed action against The Pirate Bay."

Although the Government did manage to close the site, it popped up just days later.

But in 2009 the US got its way - when four co-founders of website were found guilty of assisting the distribution of illegal content online by a Swedish court were sentenced to a year in jail and a £2.4m fine.

Charges were brought by a consortium of media, film and music companies led by the International Federation of the Pornographic, sorry Phonographic Industry.

A Stockholm court found the four defendants guilty of making 33 specific files accessible for illegal sharing through The Pirate Bay, which meant they had to pay compensation to 17 different music and media companies including Sony BMG, Universal, EMI, Warner, MGM and 20th Century Fox.

The four then appealed in November this year and as a result three of the defendants had their sentences reduced, but their total fines increased to $6.5 million.

Related topics

I hope Swedes like bullies now that everyone knows how easy they are to push around.

Nick - 29 Dec 21:00

Good for them. I'm glad these lazy, selfish, thieves have to pay up. But it's not nearly enough.....

Hank - 29 Dec 21:21

I am sorry that Sweden values supping at the high table over the rights of its citizens.The PirateBay is a very interesting technological development as is the BitTorrent System and despite the 'punk rock rebellion' name has substantial non-infringing uses that would become more apparent with time had this excellent Swedish innovation not been stifled for the idiocy of foolish company executives who already benefit from these technologies which are clearly part of the new media landscape and its democratization.Sweden could have had its own Youtube but they pissed the pot away and have locked up there most clever men and put a chilling effect on cultural and technological development in Europe for a generation.All because of the traitor Karl Rove has 'fixed' their politics.We should stand together with Wikileaks and Assange against the Washington cartel who stand for the modern corporate fascism of the Washington Banking Elite. They will only ruin our economies and buy all our land and infrastructure cheap is we do not rid the world of these fascists and their european dogs - our sell out neo-con puppet leaders.American Oil interests funded the rise of Fascism in Europe least century, today it is by the 'backdoor'.

B-Rok - 29 Dec 22:25

I will still buy from Ikea. I wonder why they didn't talk like the Swedish chef and confused the US.

nobody - 29 Dec 22:46

Lol! Reporting that "forums user Bisse suggests" as though it were news. Is it any wonder that nobody takes you seriously?

Tamlin - 29 Dec 22:56

Dear "Nobody",

From that thread: "Acoording to the cable Stockholm 09-141"

It is a leaked diplomatic cable and it is news

Even if it was speculation it is interesting speculation

Keep reading!

Thanks

Tam

Jacob - 30 Dec 02:03

Ha! Looks like its not down yet! Not in my county at any rate. I don't it'll never really be down, they'll probably mirror like certain other websites, and even if the US does manage to get TPB down, its one torrent tracker out of a thousand. Trying to get the internet completely clean of copyright infringing items, torrent trackers, and illegal things in general, is completely futile and just makes people angry.

Gabe - 30 Dec 04:32

All come on leave the Pirate Bay alone. This is what industries get for selling the items so expensive. Think about it, 25 bucks for a damn CD that your probably only going to like one song. 50 bucks for a DVD movie that is outrageous. For people like me not working we can't afford this, its not like I enjoy piracy. Sometime I need certain application for my classes like Mathematica 7.0 and that thing is high over $ 200.00, how can I buy when I'm not working. And I do apply for jobs but no one calls. It's the government fault this happens. Get me a job then I will be shopping in stores for this stuff. Until then, they need to shut the heck up!

Smith - 30 Dec 08:41

They are forcing us to boycott KFC, Hollywood, MCD and similar ... anyway, 95% of the files distributed worth no money, why should they be downloaded on the first place!???Music is what's worth there... and there are other ways of sharing music :D ...+ I don't mind spending money for books and music ...And talking about Sweden and thepiratebay, let's talk about the BT oil spill ... they are ruining the world ocean - USA, you own us a decent explanation /at least/ about the environmental disaster you caused... stop they we can talk about this virtual intellectual rights ..after you fix the real damage you are causing